Michael Roberts

A Sri Lankan Lady Bishop for Wellington, NZ-by Michael Roberts Source:Thuppahis This item was sent to TPS with this title: “Wellington celebrates Bishop Ana” ….. Note: “Ana” sould be voiced as “Aaana” The Wellington Cathedral of St Paul thronged with well-wishers on Saturday 13 April as 600+ people turned out to celebrate the Rt Rev Anashuya Fletcher’s ordination and installation as Assistant Bishop of Wellington. Bishop Anashuya Fletcher, who currently serves along her husband Rev Paul Fletcher as Co-Priest in Charge of St Peter’s Gonville in Whanganui, was ordained this weekend in an almost three hour-long festival Eucharist at St Paul’s Cathedral Wellington. Archbishop Don Tamihere, Archbishop Sione Ulu’ilakepa and Archbishop Philip Richardson were all there to receive Ana’s declarations and promises as she came forward to join the house of bishops last Saturday. Archbishop Philip was moved by Ana’s response to her new role, ….“It felt incredibly authentic to me. What I saw ...

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Ashton Agar in Freelance Rejuvenation?-by Michael Roberts Source:Thuppahis Alex Malcolm, in ESPNcricinfo … where the title of the essay runs thus  …. ” ‘It gives me flexibility’ – Agar opts for freelance life while still committing to Australia” Ashton Agar has become the latest Australian player to make the bold decision to become a freelance global gun-for-hire, and he couldn’t be more excited about it. Ashton Agar in his delivery stride•Getty Images and Cricket Australia But the 30-year-old says he remains committed to trying to play for Australia in all three formats, including Test cricket, and playing domestic cricket for Western Australia when he’s available despite opting not to sign a state contract for 2024-25. The decision was made following lengthy and collaborative consultations with WA’s general manager of high performance Kade Harvey, WA coach Adam Voges, Australia coach Andrew McDonald and chairman of selectors George Bailey after Agar did not receive a Cricket Australia contract ...

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Roman Szechowycz: A Discerning Eye for Past & Present in the Gal Oya’s History-by Michael Roberts Source:Thuppahis This is a presentation of an article entitled “The “Rock River” Story” by Roman W. Szechowycz in the Loris Magazine, Vol. 8 No. 6  December, 1960. Page 348. Its presentation here has been made feasible by my Aloysian pal KK De Silva.  I have underlined aspects of this account with highlights. Let me stress here that Roman Szechowycz’s searching eye and mind leaves me amazed. This essay links the landscape to its medieval and ancient history and dwells on the history of Sinhalese civilization in revealing manner.  ROMAN’s ARTICLE : The “Rock River” Story The Gal Oya river is full of interesting historical associations and if the river could talk, the story told by her would be worthy of record. In recent times the name of Gal Oya has become the symbol of the new Lanka, a symbol ...

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Aravinda inducted into ICC Hall of Fame-by Michael Roberts Source:Thuppahis Aravinda de Silva joins the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. Felicitation dinner hosted by the Australian Cricket Society in Toorak… Melbourne. hmmmm ….. Ari has lost some of his assets TRY this reference for the You Tube announcement :  #snni hashtag#ICCAwards hashtag#SriLanka hashtag#cricketlover hashtag#melbourne Ken Jacobs OAM Shawn Mendis hashtag#Ian Crawford @srilankanairlines @Saikrisna ipl top5 Max Abbott …. & FOR ARAVINDA’s glorious moments on the cricket field, visit Michael Roberts, Essayng Cricket. Sri Lanka and Beyond, Colombo, Vijitha Yapa Publishers, 2006, …. especially photos 48, 49, 67, 69, 76, 100, 105. An EXAMPLE: Click here to receive your free copy of the eLanka Newsletter twice a week delivered directly to your inbox! ...

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Two Huge Centuries …. One Winner as Sri Lankan Women down South Africans-by Michael Roberts Source:Thuppahis VISIT https://thuppahis.com/2024/04/19/two-huge-centuries-one-winner-as-sri-lankan-women-down-south-africans/ Skipper Chamari Aththapaththu’s 195 runs in 139 balls at a strike/rate of 140.28 nullified the benefits of Laura Wolfvaardt’s 184 runs in 147 balls; ….  and enabled Sri Lanks’s female cricketersto  overhaul the Saf total of 301 for 5 wkts in some comfort in 44.3 overs. SEE https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/sri-lanka-women-in-south-africa-2023-24-1398245/south-africa-women-vs-sri-lanka-women-3rd-odi-1398267/full-scorecard AND …. . note that Firdose Moonda marked this event thus: “Sri Lanka completed highest successful run-chase of 302 in women’s ODIs and levelled the series 1-1” Sri Lanka 305 for 4 (Athapaththu 195*, de Silva 50*, Khaka 2-54) beat South Africa 301 for 5 (Wolvaardt 184*, Dilhari 2-47) by six wickets Sri Lanka completed the highest successful chase in women’s ODIs, against South Africa, and the only one over 300 thanks to a sensational 195* from their captain Chamari Athapaththu. She finished with her career-best ODI score and the third-highest individual score by a batter in women’s ODIs to help Sri ...

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Willa Wickramasinghe and the SSC Pamphlets: An Appreciation-by Michael Roberts   Source:Thuppahis Wilfred Wickramasinghe, “Willa” to his pals, was born on 12th December 1932 and was educated at S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia. He thereafter joined the Sri Lanka Air Force and passed out first in his batch at Diyatalawa. The government of that day said they had no money to send him to Cranwell in UK for his officer training, so he promptly resigned his commission and set off for England in order to study insurance. While in London he became President of the Sri Lanka Students’ Union during the late 1950s over two successive years, succeeding Ratnasiri Wickramanayake (subsequently a Prime Minister). Wilfred became a Communist while a student in England and travelled widely in Russia and other Communist countries. He returned to Sri Lanka in the early 1960s and it was he who drew up the plan for ...

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Rupert Ferdinands: A Stellar Career …. & A Thomian Tall-by Michael Roberts Source:Thuppahis Ravi Rudra, whose chosen title for this illustrated essay was “Rupert Ferdinands: A Blazing Tennis Star and Much More”  … while the plethora of photographs rendered this item a difficult piece to insert — so that some illustrations will be missing; a or will be inserted over time. The Editor has also inserted highlighting emphasis along the way. Rupert W. Ferdinands, born April 1936, was an outstanding product of S. Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia. He is also a former Head Prefect of the School, a B.Sc. (Hons) graduate, Sri Lanka Davis Cup player and Australian qualified tennis coach (Level 3). Rupert excelled in Tennis for his College and Country, having made his national debut as a young schoolboy. Teen Rupert in Ceylon Tennis Team at the Hague in 1953 ….L-R: Percy Ernst, Douglas Fonseka, Lionel Fonseka (Manager), Douglas Scharenguivel and 17-year-old Rupert ...

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Two Majestic ‘cameos’ in Cricket from Dhoni and Pathirana-by Michael Roberts Source:Thuppahis Amidst the hot news in Australia relating to the knife-wielding nutcase and his killings at Bondi in Sydney, I watched snatches of the web-reportage on the match between the Mumbai Indians and the Chennai Superkings (CSK) in the IPL tournament.  The latter event was high-scoring, topsy-turvy, turbulent and fascinating. In point-form let me highlight some remarkable performances. A: Batting first CSK amassed a reasonable total even though Daryll Mitchell’s faltering innings at the end  slowed them down till he was dismissed in the last over …And then ….. B: Mahendra Singh Dhoni walked in to face the last few balls. Though the match was at Wankhade Stadium in Mumbai, this Indian Maharaja was not deterred; he smacked three huge sixers in the four balls he faced. All hailed His Majesty Dhoni. C: Undeterred, Rohit Sharma (the former captain of the Mumbai team) unfolded ...

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Stark Images of Ethnic Retribution & Violence in Colombo, late July 1983 Source:Thuppahis Photos selected by Michael Roberts & Rendered Accessible by David Sansoni of Sydney Commencing with a ‘shot’ of passers-by and ordinary citizens assaulting and ridiculing a Tamil person at Galle Road in Colpetty … seconded by Chandragupta Amerasinghe’s striking picture of the assailants and killers at Borella Junction where the pogrom began on the weekend when the Army personnel killed in Jaffna were scheduled for burial [a remarkable, brave & ingenious snapshot act because those snapped were killers on the rampage] Tamil residents of Colombo as refugees in their own city  Click here to receive your free copy of the eLanka Newsletter twice a week delivered directly to your inbox! ...

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